Cameroon do best when west Africa hosts Cup of Nations

ABIDJAN: The 2024 Africa Cup of Nations is being staged in the west African country of Ivory Coast, and no team has been more successful in the region than Cameroon.

They won the first of five titles in 1984 when Ivory Coast previously hosted the biennial African football showpiece. Among the winning team was forward Roger Milla, who went on to achieve fame at the 1990 World Cup when the Indomitable Lions became the first quarter-finalists from Africa. Further Cup of Nations triumphs for the central African country in the west of the continent came in Nigeria in 2000 and in Mali two years later.

No other country has won the tournament three times in west Africa -- Egypt and Ghana succeeded twice each and Nigeria and Ivory Coast once each. The other Cameroonian successes were in Morocco in 1988, and in the neighbouring central African nation of Gabon seven years ago.

With Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana, Napoli midfielder Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa and Besiktas forward Vincent Aboubakar in the squad, Cameroon are among the 2024 title favourites.